Yechezkel 14:13

13 Ben adam, when eretz sinneth against Me by persistent ma’al (faithlessness, treachery), then will I stretch out Mine yad upon it, and will break the matteh lechem thereof, and will send ra’av (famine) upon it, and will cut off adam and behemah from it;

Yechezkel 14:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 14:13

Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing
grievously
That is, the inhabitants of the land, when they are in general become sinners against God and his law; and not merely sinners, as all men are, but grievous ones, notorious sinners, guilty of very gross enormities, of great prevarication, perfidy, and treachery; for God is a God longsuffering, and has great patience with a people; and does not usually come forth in his judgments against nation, until sin has universally prevailed among them, and they are guilty of grievous abominations, and those continued in: but when this is the case, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it;
his hand of vindictive wrath and justice, and cause it to fall heavily, and men to feel it: and will break the staff of the bread thereof;
take away bread corn from the nation, the support of human life; which is that unto it, and the stay of it, as a staff is to a decrepit old man, that cannot walk without one; or take away the virtue of it, so as though it might be had and eaten, yet not be nourishing; see ( Ezekiel 4:16 ) ; and will send famine upon it;
by causing a drought, restraining rain, sending mildew, locusts, caterpillars to eat up the fruits of the earth: and will cut off man and beast from it;
the latter for the sake of the former, and both through want of food.

Yechezkel 14:13 In-Context

11 That Bais Yisroel may go no more astray from Me, neither be made tameh any more with all their peysha’im; but that they may be My people, and I may be to them Elohim, saith Adonoi Hashem.
12 The Devar Hashem came again to me, saying,
13 Ben adam, when eretz sinneth against Me by persistent ma’al (faithlessness, treachery), then will I stretch out Mine yad upon it, and will break the matteh lechem thereof, and will send ra’av (famine) upon it, and will cut off adam and behemah from it;
14 Though these three anashim—Noach, Daniel, and Iyov—were in it, they would deliver but their own nefesh by their tzedakah, saith Adonoi Hashem.
15 If I cause chayyah ra’ah (wild beasts) to pass through ha’aretz, and they bereave it of children, so that it be desolate, that no one may pass through because of the beasts;
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.